Date of Defense

4-10-2026

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Department

Music

First Advisor

Sava Velkoff

Second Advisor

Bruce Uchimura

Abstract

This video recording showcases my solo viola recital at Western Michigan University. This performance fulfilled the senior recital requirements of the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music, as well as the honors thesis requirements of the Lee Honors College. The purpose of the recital was to demonstrate the skills I learned as a music performance student at Western. It showcased many of the pieces I worked on during my time there, including the prelude and fugue to J. S. Bach’s fifth cello suite, the first movement of Bela Bartok’s viola concerto, Max Bruch’s Romance, and a little known viola sonata by Russian composer Julian Krein. These pieces exhibit many different styles from multiple historical periods, thereby revealing my versatility as a musician.

To complete this project successfully, I worked closely with my viola professors, Igor Fedotov, Olga Ziabrikova, and Sava Velkoff, as well as with two exceptional pianists, Gunta Laukmane and Ben Cooper. My viola professors instructed me on my repertoire choices, helped me conceive of cohesive musical interpretations for each piece, and instructed me on on how to achieve my goal of performing a recital that I could look back on with satisfaction and pleasure. My pianists performed alongside me on all of my recital pieces except for the Bach, and my previous rehearsals with them informed my musical ideas about each piece.

Although the recital had great personal significance to me as a performer, and probably to my professors as well, the recording also has significance due to the final piece on my recital program, Julian Krein’s 1973 Sonata for Viola and Piano. This piece was virtually unknown in the United States until Professor Igor Fedotov discovered it in Russia during his first sabbatical in 2007. He and his pianist, Gary Hammond, recorded the piece with Naxos, but his recording remained the only one available until the recording of my recital on April 10, 2026.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
Jonah Bancino Recital Recording.mp4 (428544 kB)
Recital
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